5 Habits That Make a Great Leader

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Brian Williams, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Everyone has their own unique leadership style built around their DNA, the culture of the organization they lead, training, and a multitude of social and environmental factors. However, there are definitely some commonalities in great leaders. By being aware of some habits great leaders exhibit, you too can incorporate them into your leadership toolkit . What are they? Here are our top five habits that make a great leader.

Set the Tone

It’s the leader’s number one job to model and cultivate healthy communications among all team members. Empathy, particularly, is a key characteristic in this communication. According to researchers Nancy J. Cooke and Margaret L. Hilton, creating a positive climate that fosters the ability for teams to “actively engage in cognitive processes, such as decision making, problem solving, situation assessment, planning, and knowledge sharing” is often a result of great leadership. How can you do it? Take proactive steps to foster an open communications environment, keep a positive attitude, make sure you ask all team members for their opinions and input, allow for acceptable risk taking, and take time for one-on-ones with team members to discuss their concerns and celebrate their success.

Gratitude

A great leader makes a habit of showing gratitude. Good for the emotional health of the leader and others around them, saying “thank you” is a wonderful way to renew energy and motivate the team. There are many ways to show gratefulness. Give thanks by writing a quick email, stopping by a team member’s desk, making a lunch date, or simply make a point of giving thanks in a meeting.

Delegate

Great leaders don’t try to accomplish everything on their own. They delegate work and allow others the space to get things done—no micromanaging or hovering. This skill is developed based on the leaders trust in the team. Ann Cunliffe and Matthew Eriksen describe trust that is rooted in the leaders confidence and competence of the staff within an organization. Building trust is a matter of explicitly making and fulfilling expectations that demonstrate the skills, produce outcomes, and uplifting overall group performance.

Personal Time

Even everyday habits such as taking a true lunch break and leaving the office at a decent hour are routines that will increase a great leader’s productivity and effectiveness. Numerous studies and projects such as The Energy Project have shown that using breaks effectively can increase rather than decrease productivity.

Humility

Overly proud leaders are rarely in touch with how they may come across to others. Great leaders make a habit of maintaining a humble presence and valuing others. Jim Collins in his book Good to Great describes this type of leader as “self-effacing, quiet, reserved, even shy.” By valuing others, you will create an organizational dynamic that motivates, uplifts, and embeds the right mindset for your team to do their best.

StratIQ Coaching programs work with leaders and organizations in the following areas:

Developing Resilient Leaders and Team
Career Development
Establishing a Vision
Creating a Lasting Strategy
Taking Decisive Action
Effective Communications
Building Trust
Ethical Decision Making
Situational Leadership
Managing Stress and Organizational Change